’Tis the season for holiday budgeting stress, anxiety, more; resources available to help

Holidays and stress are a common theme this time of year. Based on surveys and research from 2021, the American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Healthline all found reasons to believe this hectic holly jolly time of year takes a toll on mental health and well-being. With that in mind, in support of the behavioral health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program, resources are available to help individuals navigate the season. 

“Creating a Holiday Budget” is the title of SupportLinc’s November 2023 feature, which shares tips for holiday budgeting. The feature article and flash course video can be found here.  

Additionally, SupportLinc has other resources available, including its holiday toolkit, which is a comprehensive collection of resources to help support individuals’ well-being during this time of year. And that’s not all SupportLinc has to offer. More resources are available, including: 

• Stress, Depression and the Holidays— tip sheet 
• Dealing with Holiday Stress— tip sheet
• Keep Calm: The Holidays are Coming— tip sheet
• 6 Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress for Families with Special Needs— tip sheet
• When You’re Not Going Home for the Holidays— tip sheet
• When You Don’t Feel Like Celebrating— article 
• Coping with the Holidaze— article 
• Holiday Blues— article 
• Managing Holiday Stress— guide 
• Holiday Stress— article 

Last November’s feature, “Tis the Season: How to Survive the Holidays,” is another good resource that shares ways to destress during this time of festivities. The article can be found here. 

Purdue employees who would like to talk to someone about holiday stress or any other issues — such as grief and loss, anger management, work-related issues, anxiety, depression and more — have access to behavioral health resources.   

West Lafayette employees

SupportLinc counselors are available to meet with individuals via phone, email, text, group support and more. When an employee calls in and speaks with a SupportLinc Care Advocate, they will be referred to counselors that match both their clinical and cultural needs. Call 888-881-5462 or log in to the SupportLinc website to utilize its resources.

Northwest employees 

New Avenues provides Northwest campus employees with behavioral health resources. 

Fort Wayne employees 

Behavioral health resources for the Fort Wayne campus are available via the Bowen Center.

Purdue Global employees 

Purdue Global employees can access behavioral health services via Health Advocates via phone at 877-240-6863, email at answers@HealthAdvocate.com and the web at HealthAdvocate.com/members.  

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES 

As a reminder, anyone facing a mental health crisis can call 988 and get connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (also called the Lifeline).

To assist faculty and staff 

Faculty and staff can review the “Mental Health Resources” webpage for a variety of available resources, which also support the behavioral health pillar of the Healthy Boiler Program, and information on Purdue’s health plan coverage for mental health and substance abuse. 

To assist students 

Faculty and staff who work with students or have a student at home can direct them to the resources below for behavioral health assistance. Note: United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) — medical plan provider for students and graduate students — offers 292 unique mental health providers serving at various locations that are in-network with UHCSR within Tippecanoe County. The list is available here. Additionally, students have access to HealthiestYou, which provides virtual access to mental health care as part of UHCSR’s plan. All services are free for students covered under the UHCSR insurance plan. 

Office of the Dean of Students

• Continuous Network of Support
• Services and Information
• Presentations & Trainings
• Student of Concern Reporting Link 

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Therapy Services at CAPS
• Self-help Resources
• Group Therapy
• CAPS YouTube channel
• NAMI On Campus— a free, virtual support group on campus
• Thriving Campus— service that provides students a way to search for mental health providers in many areas, locally and across the country
• TAO— web- and app-based mental health resource for students